Lucca
Calendargirl
Sometimes words like “clique” or “flounce” are appropriate in the context of what’s been written though Lucca.
Personally, I don’t like to see the ‘f” word or similar, and I don’t think they are acceptable ever.
If others choose to use certain words, that is up to them though, and I wouldn’t say that they should stop using them.
Fair enough, just my personal view.
I think the words, ‘clique’ ‘flounce’ and ‘derail’ are quite specific words that describe some situations perfectly.
Cliques exist offline too, but it is more obvious online when a group of people make it impossible for others to join in by talking to one another instead of everyone, particularly about something that others are not privy to.
Flouncing is announcing you are going to leave (a thread or a forum) and blaming others to control the narrative. It’s quite specific to online (or ‘real life’ toddlers
). Most adults just stop posting - either on a particular thread that is annoying them, or take a break from the board while they are annoyed. It is attention seeking to announce it, and even more so to claim to have been ’hounded’. Other members can read the threads and decide for themselves if others are behaving badly.
Derailing can only happen online I think. If the conversation is about politics and people suddenly start talking about kittens they would be considered bonkers in real life. Online it is extremely rude - particularly as boards are often read asynchronously so it is easy to come to posts hours after they were written, and if someone has taken it on themselves to stop a discussion in its tracks it can be too late to have a say.
As these are particular behaviours they need particular words to describe them, I think. The alternative is to be unable to describe them/pretend they are not happening, or to have to laboriously explain them every time, instead of just using the words.
Have a flounce on me ?